Christmas Spirit
by Trapped in a MatchBox
Summary: AU. Two lonely souls find each other on Christmas Eve when all seemed lost. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Christmas Spirit**

It was Christmas Eve.

Manhattan was covered in white as snow had plagued the city relentlessly for days now. It made for a beautiful scenery for this time of the year as the city lights slowly came to life as the sunlight faded. The Christmas spirit was everywhere and the late shoppers were still hurrying through the slippery sidewalks on the search for some last minute presents. Everyone anxious to get home to their loved ones, to spend this magical night with their families.

It was Christmas Eve and here she was, swirling a glass of scotch as she looked out the window of the bar, with no one to get home to. It was pathetic, really, she thought with a shake of her head. It wasn't like she was going to accomplish anything by sitting here feeling sorry for herself, but here she was, anyway. It was the first time in years that she wasn't working on Christmas Eve and now that she had the night off unexpectedly, she didn't know what to do with herself.

It was at times like these that she wished her life had been different, that her mom was still around, that her dad hadn't drowned himself in a bottle of vodka. On nights like tonight, she just wanted to be normal, to have a normal family. To not have been so affected by tragedy.

Taking a sip, she looked out the window again, resting her head against the cold glass before closing her eyes. This drink wasn't even going down right, didn't even taste good, but it was all she had for tonight and just the thought of going home to an empty apartment nearly made her sick to her stomach. She knew she eventually would have to, but she would prolong the inevitable for as long as she possibly could. Who knows, maybe they would call her in to cover for someone.

A gush of icy wind blew through her hair as someone opened the door of the establishment, making her shiver with the sudden drop in temperature. She turned to look at the entrance and found a tall man standing just next to the door, running a hand over his dark hair and coat to shake the snow off. Kate felt a smile tug her lips up at his clumsiness and shook her head, amused.

He looked adorable.

She was still staring at him thoughtfully when he looked up and their eyes met. Even across the room, she felt his intense gaze on hers and only looked away when a shiver ran through her again, goose bumps spreading all over her skin. Interesting, she thought, stealing a glance at the stranger again a minute later. He had moved to the bar and was talking quietly to the bartender, probably asking for his poison of choice. The place was nearly deserted, so she figured he was here for reasons similar to hers. Loneliness, most likely.

After all, who came to a bar alone on Christmas Eve at night?

Kate sighed and took another sip of her scotch, grimacing when the strong liquid burned down her throat. Maybe she would just have one more of these and call it a night. Maybe this was enough to knock her out until she had to crawl out of bed to go to work tomorrow. A dreamless night; that was all she asked for.

"May I?"

A quiet, male voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked up, startled. Blue eyes looked back down at her and she felt her breath catch in her throat. He looked good. So good. But there was something lingering in his eyes, sadness, she thought to herself, which made her want to comfort him in any way she could.

"Uh, sure." She found her voice and gestured to the empty chair across from her. He offered a small, timid smile and sat down, placing his drink on the table.

"It's just… this place is pretty deserted you look like you could use some company." He told her with a shrug. "And I figured maybe we could just be alone together?" He says, but it comes out like a question and Kate can't help but chuckle at his awkwardness.

"Sounds like a plan." She smiled at him and found his eyes again. They were just so mystifyingly blue that she couldn't make herself look away.

"I'm Rick Castle, by the way." He introduced himself, offering his hand. She reached out, shook it and felt a delightful tingling sensation spreading from their joined palms out.

Who _was_ this guy?

"Kate Beckett." She volunteered and realized they were still holding hands. Pulling hers away gently, she looked at her tingling palm for a moment, before looking up at him, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear self-consciously. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Castle."

"Please, you can call me Rick." He pulled his hand back to his side of the table and took a sip of his scotch. "What brings you here tonight?"

"Nowhere important I need to be." She replied quietly, breaking their gaze to look out the window once again. "How about you?" She asked after a moment, her eyes meeting his.

"Same. My daughter is spending Christmas with her mom." He shrugged, but she could see the longing in his eyes. "Don't really have anyone to go home to if she's not here."

"I'm sorry." Kate whispered and drank her whiskey. "How old is she?"

"Alexis? She's nine." His proud tone and the gleam in his eyes when he talked about his daughter made her smile. "How about you, Kate? Family out of town too?" He offered her a small smile and she sighed.

"No family, really. It's just me now." She said quietly and looked down at her drink, closing her eyes for a moment when the tears threatened to make an appearance.

"I'm so sorry." He reached out and touched her hand comfortingly, giving it a light squeeze.

"Didn't really want to go home tonight, you know? I was supposed to be working, but they switched my shift." She surprised herself by telling him this, didn't even notice that his hand still covered hers.

"What do you do?" He asked curiously, gently brushing his thumb over her skin. Kate looked down at their joined hands for a moment with a confused frown, but decided to just go with it. Hell, she needed this tonight.

"NYPD. I just made detective." She said a little proudly. After all, she had worked her ass off to make it here; to be the youngest woman to ever make detective in the force.

"Wow, really? That is really cool, Kate. Congratulations." His grin was infectious and she found herself smiling back.

"Thanks." She pushed a stubborn strand of hair behind her ear again and downed the rest of her drink, signaling the bartender for another one. "You?"

"What I do for a living? I'm a writer." He said, his thumb still drawing lazy patterns on her hand.

"Oh, I knew you looked familiar!" She exclaimed suddenly, recognition finally dawning on her. "Mystery novels, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. Ever read any of my books?"

He looked curious and self-conscious at the same time and Kate struggled not to reach out and soothe that worried line between his eyebrows with her lips, the desire to touch more of him so strong and sudden that she could only attribute it to alcohol.

"I have actually. I love the new character. Derek Storm." She smiled and he smiled back happily, his eyes crinkling at the sides. "He's badass."

"I'm glad you think so, detective. I aim to please." He said casually and she chuckled. "You really like it?" He insisted after a moment of silence and she turned her palm up so it could touch his.

"I really, really do. A friend of mine recommended it and I'm really glad he did. You're good, Rick." She nudged his foot with hers and squeezed his hand.

"Thank you. It means a lot, Kate."

"Can I ask you something, though?" She nodded at the bartender when he brought over her drink and took a sip while Rick ordered another glass of scotch for himself.

"Go ahead." He said, his fingers now daring to run further over her skin, sweeping over her wrist and back to her palm. She had no idea what was really happening between them, but for once she wouldn't fight it. It felt good and he was proving to be excellent company tonight, when she had thought she would end up miserable at home, crying for her lost family.

"How come a famous, good looking guy like you is spending Christmas alone?" She asked curiously and he sighed, looking out the window for a second.

"I could ask you the same thing." He threw back and she chuckled.

"It's completely different." She argued, but he shook his head and moved her hand until he could lace his fingers through hers.

"You may not be famous, but you're beautiful, Kate. Inside and out, I'm willing to bet. I can't believe there's no one special in your life."

"It's complicated." She shrugged, hoping he would leave it at that.

"I excel at complicated." He assured her with a grin and she shook her head, still baffled about how her night had turned on itself and changed completely.

"Excuse me, guys. We're closing shop. Sorry." The young bartender interrupted them and they both looked up at the young man. Kate pulled her hand away from his and reached for her purse, but Rick stopped her.

"It's on me." He told her and handed his credit card to the bartender before she could protest.

"You didn't have to do that." She complained after the young man left with his signed receipt.

"I wanted to." He stood up and threw his coat on. "Let's get out of here?" He lifted an eyebrow at her and smiled when she nodded, helping her put her trench coat on.

"What do you suggest?"

She let him guide her to the door, his hand resting comfortably on the small of her back. The freezing cold wind nearly took her breath away when they stepped out of the bar and she shivered, pulling her coat tighter around herself. Then she felt his hands running up and down her arms in an attempt to warm her up and she smiled at him. What was it with this guy and why did she feel so at ease with him? If it were any other person, she would have never let them touch her like he was doing right now.

"Well, I know there's this party down at Bowery that is supposed to be good and super traditional. Maybe we could go?" He suggested, shoving his hands into his pockets and she immediately missed the warmth. "I mean, unless you want to call it a night."

"Nah, we should go check it out." She told him and looped her arm through his. "Lead the way."

* * *

When they finally arrived at the club, the line to get in was ridiculously long, making Kate sigh in defeat. There was no way they would be able to get in sometime tonight and she was not willing to spend the rest of her night freezing her ass off out here. Just as she was turning to tell Rick that, he grabbed her hand and started leading her to the entrance of the club. Before she could really understand what was happening, the security guy was letting them in.

Once they got their coats checked in, Kate touched his arm before they could go any further into the club.

"How did you even manage that?" She asked curiously, her voice loud over the music already pumping inside.

"My name was on the list with a plus one. Got the invitation a few weeks ago." He winked at her and she shook her head, amused.

"Oh, how the other half lives." She teased and he nudged her side before taking her hand in his.

"Come on, let's go." He smiled at her, leading her to the bar. "Ever been here before?"

"Not really." She leaned against the counter and ordered a martini when the bartender reached them. "This is great." She grinned at him and looked out at the dance floor, already crowded with people. "Thank you." She took the drink from the bartender and clinked her glass with Rick's when he offered his for a toast.

"I'm so glad I found you tonight." He told her earnestly when they toasted and she smiled at him and looked down a little timidly. He touched her chin and made her look up at him. "Really, Kate. You saved my Christmas already." He cupped her cheek, his thumb gently tracing her skin.

"The feeling is very mutual, Rick." She replied and allowed herself to close her eyes, leaning against his touch. For some reason beyond her comprehension, this guy, this stranger, made her feel so completely safe. "Come on, let's go dance?" She asked and he brushed his thumb against her lips, his eyes following his actions before meeting hers.

She wanted to kiss him so badly.

"Yeah, let's go dance."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? Should I go on?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: First and foremost, I am so so sorry I took so long to finish this. I've been incredibly busy this past week, but now I am officially on Christmas break and I am making it my mission to update every single one of my stories until January. Secondly, _oh my god, you guys_! I was so completely overwhelmed by the response to this little story. Thank you so so, so much. Really.**

* * *

**Christmas Spirit**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

He led her to the dance floor, fingers entwined with hers, and soon they were moving to the rhythm that was playing along with the crowd. Kate still found completely unbelievable that this was actually happening. This entire encounter with this stranger felt utterly surreal to her, but she didn't let herself dwell on it. She was 26 years old and for once in her life she decided to act like her own age and enjoy herself for a little while, even if this night was all that they would have together.

The DJ changed the tune to a crowd favorite and she found herself moving closer and closer to his body as the dancing mass of people pushed her in his direction. One particularly excited dancer bumped into her and she lost her balance for a second, but his hands on her hips steadied her and kept her close. Her back was turned to him, so he took advantage of that and slowly, hesitantly, wrapped his arms around her waist, as if waiting for her to bolt at any moment.

She did freeze for a moment when she felt his arms around her, but relaxed into his chest soon enough, her hands covering his where they rested over her stomach. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the fact that she hadn't been with anyone in a while, but her body responded to this guy in a way that she had never felt before. She could feel all her nerve endings tingling with his proximity, his breath so close to her skin. When his lips gently pressed against the skin of her neck, she groaned at the sensation, heat spreading out from this point of contact to the rest of her aroused body.

He kept his light, gentle assault on her neck until she nearly couldn't take it anymore. Turning around in his arms, she met his eyes and held his gaze when he touched her cheek, caressing her skin softly. He smiled at her and looked down at her lips for a second, asking her permission. She didn't allow herself to think about it, just leaned in and touched his lips with hers in a slow kiss. His groan when their lips met only spurred her further, so she nipped at his lower lip with her teeth and soothed it with her tongue, immediately gaining entrance to his warm mouth.

The next few minutes were a bit of a haze in her mind. All she could remember afterwards was this all-consuming heat that took over her body and she had to detach herself from him in order to think straight and catch her breath. When she met his eyes again, she could see his pupils dilated and his breath coming out in short gasps. He grinned at her a little dazedly and leaned in again to press another kiss to her lips, this time slowly, gently.

"Wow." He let out a heavy breath and rested his forehead on hers. "That was…"

"Yeah." She blinked up at him, still a little out of it, baffled that a single kiss could affect her this much. "Yeah." She repeated and smiled at him, leaning in to steal another kiss. Now that she had gotten a taste of him, it seemed like she couldn't get enough. "Come on. I'll buy you a drink." She offered teasingly and he laughed, offering his hand to her.

"Lead the way, detective."

She took his hand and he pulled her against him for a second, catching her lips with his in a sloppy kiss, making her laugh.

"Come on, Mr. Castle. Let's cool down a little." She tugged on his hand and led him through the throngs of oblivious dancers.

Once they made it to the bar, Rick signaled to the bartender and ordered their drinks, wrapping an arm around her waist while they waited. She relaxed into him and rested her head back on his shoulder, letting out a contented sigh. And to think, her plans had been to spend tonight alone in her apartment, feeling sorry for herself.

"I still can't believe tonight turned out like this." His voice interrupted her thoughts and she turned her head to look at him. "I mean, my plans were to get a little drunk, then go home and pass out so I didn't have to think about the fact that my kid isn't spending Christmas with me." She offered him a small smile and laced her fingers with his. "And yet, here we are."

"I know the feeling." She told him and accepted the glass when the bartender handed it to her. "I have to say I had very similar plans. Except for the kid part." She grinned and he chuckled with a nod.

"It must be fate." He wiggled his eyebrows teasingly at her and she laughed, shaking her head, amused. "What? How else would you explain this?" He gestured between them. "I mean, you feel it too, right? I know I'm not crazy. There is something here."

"You're not crazy, Rick." She sighed, turning around in his arms, and met his eyes. "I'm just not good at this."

"Not good at what?" He frowned and she took a sip from her martini before answering.

"Being… social, I guess. Being with someone. I don't know. I've been on my own for a long time, so this is a little out of my depth, you know?" She looked away, but he touched her chin, making her meet his eyes again.

"Hey, don't worry about it. If you want to slow down, just say the word. I don't want you to be uncomfortable, Kate." He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"No, no. Just forget I said anything. This?" She gestured between them. "I can feel it too, I told you. It's just… I'm just surprised, that's all. Whatever this is, it's caught me off guard." She admitted shyly, leaning into his hand that still caressed her cheek. He smiled and kissed her cheek gently. "Like you said, it wasn't part of the original plan."

"So we'll take it slow. Baby steps. Unless you're not interested. Because if you're not, just tell me and…" She touched a finger to his lips, effectively silencing him.

"Have I given any indication that I'm not interested, especially when we were back there, Mr. Castle?" She raised an eyebrow playfully and pointed to the dance floor.

"No, I guess not." He grinned happily and she chuckled, leaning in to kiss him again. She couldn't get enough of his taste. What was up with that? "I'll just consider this my Christmas present, then."

* * *

When the club closed at 4am, Kate and Rick stumbled out of the establishment with the rest of the party goers. It was entirely too late and she had had way too much to drink, and yet, Kate didn't feel drunk or tired. She felt energized, especially with Rick's arms around her.

They had had too much fun tonight; to the point that she had nearly forgotten that it was Christmas and she all alone in the world. He had managed to take her mind off of her miserable life and she'd decided to just enjoy his company and the good music and drinks and let go. That was exactly what he had accomplished. She had let go and enjoyed herself immensely.

"So, where to now?" She turned her head to look at him and he playfully stole a kiss, making her laugh.

"I'm hungry. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it, I could definitely eat." She told him and leaned back against him again. "There's this diner a couple of blocks away from here and I think they're open 24 hours. Maybe we could go there?"

"Sure, lead the way. I'm all yours tonight, detective." He leered at her teasingly and she surprised him by pulling him in for a quick, but deep kiss.

"Come on." She tugged on his hand and he followed her dazedly, making her proud of herself for having this effect on him.

They walked to Remy's and Kate smiled at the young man taking the orders. After their burgers and shakes had been ordered, she led Rick to a booth in the back of the place, sliding into the seat while he did the same across from her. For a moment it felt like déjà vu and that they were back to that bar where they had met a few hours before. It was insane that they had only known each other for no more than six hours and yet, it felt like they had known each other for years.

They talked for the better part of two hours, getting to know each other. He told her about his previous marriages and his recent divorce and how he hadn't really dated anyone since. She felt strangely lighter when he said that, maybe because they were in the same situation, despite the wildly different circumstances that led them here.

Last night hadn't exactly turned out like she expected, but she wasn't one to complain. Not when whatever higher power there was out there put this amazing stranger (now not so much anymore) in her life exactly when she needed someone the most.

Her parents weren't here anymore to celebrate Christmas with her, but for the first time in years, she hadn't spent it alone, crying in her apartment because the pain of her loss was too great. Not that it was gone, not at all. But for tonight, this guy, Rick Castle, managed to turn it around and make Christmas good for her again.

So when the sun started to come up and the streets were bathed in sunlight, Kate was tucked into his side, his hand running lazily up and down her arm. She turned her head to look at him, caressed the underside of his jaw to catch his attention. When he met her eyes, she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, feeling an overwhelming gratitude for this man's presence in her life, even if it would only be for now, today.

"Merry Christmas." She whispered, a small smile tugging her lips up. He returned it and kissed her again, breathing her in before resuming the gentle dance his fingers had been doing up and down her arm.

"Merry Christmas, Kate."

* * *

**A/N: Tell what you think?**


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